25

Chapter 25: Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans

Wade refrained from further questions, focusing on the product list in his hands.

As a small village, Hogsmeade paled in comparison to Diagon Alley, the bustling heart of the British wizarding world. Despite its size, Hogsmeade offered essential shops: clothing stores, quill shops, magic equipment outlets, post offices, bars, tea houses, and most popular among students, the candy store. The extensive list of sweets dwarfed all other categories combined.

Wade scanned the purchases others desired, unable to resist asking, "Can he really get all these things?"

"In the Hufflepuff common room, Cedric assured everyone—" Theo grinned. "He said, 'Don't worry about whether my arms can carry it—all hail the Levitation Charm!' The rest of the third-years also pledged their help; Cedric won't be alone."

Michael slumped onto the table, lamenting weakly, "Oh—why don't we Ravenclaws have such enthusiastic seniors? Ours just glare and say, 'Wait two more years.' Who needs that? And they certainly don't offer to fetch us a handful of sweets! Oh, for a day in Hufflepuff!"

Theo and Ryan exchanged proud smiles.

Meanwhile, Hermione and Neville inevitably thought of Gryffindor prefect Percy Weasley's infamous warnings: "As a prefect, you must obey me!" "Do you want house points docked?" "First-years, don't think of slipping past Filch—I'll ensure you're watched!"

Or the mischievous Weasley twins in their third year: "Of course, no problem—dung bombs or belching powder? Brilliant! It'll give Filch a real surprise! Fifteen silver sickles each—just five knuts more than in Hogsmeade!"

But before they could gather money, Percy caught wind of their schemes. Most of the twins' purchases were prank items, sending the two brothers fleeing their older sibling around the common room.

Though Hermione and Neville differed greatly in academic performance, they both felt like "outsiders" in Gryffindor. They suppressed their resentment towards the Weasleys but secretly envied Hufflepuff's camaraderie.

Wade smiled wryly, "Michael, let's not envy Hufflepuff for having a caring senior. When we reach third-year, you'll gladly help young Ravenclaws shop for candies, won't you?"

"What? Me?" Michael blurted, "That sounds like such a chore! I'd rather not spend my precious weekends ticking off a shopping list!"

"So, we're on our own, Ravenclaws," Wade remarked calmly, selecting items with less demand, ideal for swapping later.

He wondered if Cedric would be surprised by Theo's lengthy list.

...

"Actually, Wade, I think you're a lot like Cedric."

After classes ended, Theo lingered to tell Wade this.

"Huh?" Wade was still lost in the Petrification Charm, forgetting the day's conversations.

Theo locked eyes with him earnestly, "Though I've never said it before, our SSC group formed because of you, Wade—you've always selflessly coached us in spell practice and shared your hard-earned notes. I've never seen another Ravenclaw do that."

Wade was taken aback. He glanced at Theo, unsure how to respond.

"Michael and Hermione join in because of you. Me, Ryan, and Neville—our grades weren't great, but you've helped us earn house points. Professor Flitwick praised us, and Neville even got extra credit in Herbology last class," Theo continued. "Wade, you're a true Ravenclaw, but you're not selfish. You've helped us a lot—that's what I wanted to say."

Long after Theo left, Wade felt an overwhelming mix of emotions.

He gathered his belongings, exited the Umbrella House, and spotted Claudia in her portrait, walking sadly in the grass. Her expression mirrored his sister Lin's.

Watching the Umbrella House door close, Wade murmured to himself, "Could it really be that they all gathered because of me? Did Theo forget it's his classroom too? I applied with Professor Sprout!"

Miss Claudia remained silent, as always. She never interacted with students or ventured out like other portraits, staying put in the empty lawn—a stark contrast to Muggle paintings.

...

As promised, Cedric delivered. He purchased everything Wade and others listed, not charging an extra Knut.

"Oh my stars, I'm floating!" Hermione exclaimed. The brown-haired girl had just sipped a drink and began to rise slowly from the ground. Wade quickly reached out, steadying her to prevent a fall.

After the drink's effects wore off, Hermione descended slowly. She grumbled, "They really should put consumption warnings on the packaging!"

"How amusing, Hermione!" Michael chuckled.

Hermione blushed, glaring at him. "But I'm wearing a skirt!"

Michael was speechless, bowing his head. "I'm sorry—you're right."

"Watch this!" Theo declared. "I'm trying the black pepper urchin!"

All eyes turned expectantly to him.

Theo popped the candy into his mouth, chewed briefly, then his expression shifted dramatically. Seconds later, he spewed fire from his nose!

Laughter erupted.

Michael grabbed a handful of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, distributing them excitedly. "Try these Every Flavor Beans! Let's see who gets the worst!"

He tossed one into his mouth first. "Not bad—it tastes like carrots."

Ryan grimaced after his turn. "Unlucky—earwax flavor."

Curious, Wade asked, "How do you know what earwax tastes like?"

Ryan blinked, nonchalantly diverting to Theo, "Your turn."

Theo grinned as he chewed, "Mmm—honeydew melon! Lucky me!"

Hermione sampled one, commenting, "Beef flavor—not bad."

Neville eyed the yellow bean apprehensively, muttering, "Isn't it always me who gets the bad ones?" He closed his eyes, swallowed it, then stuck out his tongue, shouting incoherently, "Water, water, water!"

"Did it taste like sand?" Michael handed him water, curious.

Neville drank deeply, tearfully confessing, "It was like super-hot chili."

All eyes turned to Wade.

Eyeing the Every Flavor Beans disdainfully, Wade had never tried this famous wizarding treat. Rumor had it Bertie Bott's beans even tasted like vomit—what kind of mischief was this manufacturer up to?

Despite his reservations, Wade eventually popped a bean into his mouth.

"What's it taste like?" His friends asked eagerly.

Wade grinned, relieved. "It tastes like snow."

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